This Changes Everything
by fanficismysecretobsession
Summary: LoVe. AU."You see that girl over there? That's Lillian Kane. That guy in the corner? Her younger brother Duncan - my ex. And the surfer dude next to him? That's Logan Echolls, he's Lilly's boyfriend. We were inseparable. They called us the Fab Four"HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

Okay, so here is a new story from me. Again it's very AU, but I hope you guys like it, because I find it easier to write stories that don't stick exactly to the story line, and frankly this one is very different in a couple of respects.

_**So, here are some things that you need to know for the story to make any sense:**_

_**Lilly Kane is not dead, but she was raped.**_

_**Keith Mars accused Jake Kane of Lilly's rape and was made to resign as sheriff.**_

_**Same as in the real show, Veronica took her father's side, even though she wasn't really sure if Jake did it or not.**_

_**Lilly remained popular and spunky etc, but, again as in the show, Veronica has become an outcast, and Logan and Duncan sided with Lilly.**_

_**The story starts on the first day of Junior year, so Veronica has been a loner for about a year, just like in the show.**_

_**Enjoy…**_

Veronica pushes through the crowd surrounding the flag pole. Although there are a few whispers and knudges as she passes people, most of the high school students have their attention on the figure in front of them. A boy, probably about seventeen years old, is taped to the flag pole and being scrutinised by all the kids. Veronica notices all these things, as she sweeps a practised eye around the quad, along with something rather more crucial; the kid is naked, and being taunted by none other than Lilly Kane, her ex-bestfriend.

"I don't know who did this, but whoever you are I totally love you!" Lilly shrieks, leaning on her boyfriend, Logan Echolls, for support. "The new guy must have totally got what he deserved!"

She continues on in this manner, and no one does a thing to stop her, not even her brother, Duncan, who is looking slightly uncomfortable about the way his sister is acting. Veronica can't stand it, the way that everyone does what those three say, and never question their judgement or motives. She also hates the fact that up until last year, she was one of those sheep, albeit a favoured sheep, following Lilly's command. Unable to watch this disgusting display of power any longer, Veronica steps forward, pocket knife in hand.

"Don't even think about it, Mars." Lilly's voice is suddenly harsh.

Ignoring the taller girl, Veronica moves towards the boy and cuts him down. She pulls off the men's shirt that she has on over a tank top, and hands it to him, smiling. He takes it gratefully, and wraps it around his waist to hide everything.

"Thanks." He speaks simply, and Veronica is glad that he doesn't make a big deal out of her good deed.

"I'm Veronica, welcome to Neptune High. We need to get you some clothes." She says, leading him towards the boys locker rooms.

"You'll regret you ever did that, Mars. I will ruin you!" Lilly yells after them, annoyed that her fun has been stopped, and that anyone had the guts to stand up to her.

"What more can you do to me, Lilly? I'm already ruined by the lies you tell about me." Veronica calls back, levelly.

"So, am I the first guy they've done this to?" The boy watches Veronica as she seeks out a certain locker and bangs it open.

"Well, that depends on who did it to you." She replies, handing him a pair of jeans and boxers from the locker, along with a t shirt.

"It was some biker dudes." He tells her, as he turns and pulls on the underwear and jeans. "I don't know what any of them were called, but they wrote, 'don't forget the lesson taught to you by the PCHers' on my…uh.." He trails off, embarassed to be talking about this kind of thing in front of a girl, but she's looking at him intently, and obviously is less squeamish about this kind of thing than him.

"Well, that's a pretty good indication of who it was. The PCHers are Neptune's biggest biker gang," She explains, as he pulls on the t shirt. "Do the clothes fit?"

"Yeah they do, thanks. Why, uh, why do you have a locker in the guys lockerroom?" He asks, nervously. He isn't sure how this hardcore chick is going to react to any kind of question about herself.

"I don't. but I do know how to get into a couple of the lockers here, and specifically an ex-boyfriend of mine always keeps spare clothes in his locker." She explains.

"Okay then, I hope its not gonna be blamed on me when he gets pissed, though." The boy laughs. "I'm Wallace, by the way."

"Good to know. Don't worry about Duncan getting pissed, he's still hung up on me, whatever he says to the contrary, so all I'll have to do is make some comment about him dumping me for no reason and you'll be in the clear." She laughs, but suddenly looks serious again. "You don't have to worry about me selling you out, though. I'm not one of the androids outside, I stick by my guns, and my friends and allies need never worry about me turning on them for no reason."

Wallace is comforted by this, especially since from the sound of it, he's now become either a friend or an ally.

"So what's your first class?" She asks, as they walk back into the main corridor of Neptune High School.

"History, with Mr Rooks." He replies, trying to ignore the stares and whispers that are following them down the hall.

"Same here, I can keep on protecting you." She laughs, but stops when she notices his discomfort. "You don't need to worry, you know, the whole flag pole thing is old news, all the whispers are about me. Probably saying that I'm corrupting you, or you're my newest piece of ass or something." She doesn't look bothered, but Wallace can tell that she isn't as indestructible as she wants people to think.

They sit down next to eachother in the History room, just as the lesson is about to begin. "Why do they say things like that about you? And what were you talking about before when you said that girl had ruined you?"

"You see that girl over there?" She points at the blonde girl who had tormented Wallace that morning, talking to a teacher in the hallway. "That's Lillian Kane, eldest child of Jake Kane, the software giant. And that guy over there?" A boy withbrown hair and a brooding expression sitting in the corner was her next target. "Her younger brother Duncan – my ex. And then there's the surfer dude next to him," a blondy-brown haired due with a permanent smirk, "Logan Echolls, son of Aaron Echolls the famous movie star. He's Lilly's boyfriend, and the four of us used to be inseparable. They called us the Fab Four, and I was an honourary 09er because Lilly was my best friend, and then Duncan was my boyfriend. But pretty much a year ago, Lilly was raped and left for dead."

Wallace looks shocked, as his eyes go from one former member of the Fab Four to another.

"My dad thought that Jake Kane was the one who raped her, and of course there was this whole legal battle, and to cut a long story short, my dad was forced out of his position as Sheriff, and Logan, Duncan and Lilly made me choose between agreeing with them or standing by my dad." Her face gives no indication of sadness, but her voice is filled with emotion. "I chose my dad."

"Of course, wouldn't anybody?" Wallace asks.

"Well, that's what I would have thought, but apparently familial ties don't mean very much in Neptune, and I got completely cast out for being loyal to my dad. Neither of us think Jake did it anymore, but this dude came forward a few months ago and confessed and we're both sure that he didn't do it."

"Wow, that is one unbelievable story." Wallace looks awestruck.

"Well, welcome to Neptune, one big soap opera." She smiles wryly, and then turns her attention to the lesson.

By lunchtime, Wallace and Veronica are firm friends. He thinks she's the coolest girl he's ever met; not bothered by other people's opinion, funny, perky, saracastic and apparently a skilled baker. Veronica thinks he's exactly what she needs to keep her sane; nice, kind, funny, an all round good person, who won't be afraid to call her on bad decisions. When they sit down at Veronica's usual table, they're both glad of the blossoming friendship.

"So, Ronnie's got a new mantoy!" Logan Echolls' arrogant voice rings around the whole of the quad, as he stands on one of the benches at the 09er table. "I wonder how long it'll take the human flag to realise that she's using him for the man-parts we all saw this morning!"

Veronica clenches her fist slightly, but other than that gives no indication of having heard Logan's taunts. Wallace decides to follow suit and just ignore the rich kid as he continues in his tirade. The 09ers are all laughing at Logan's insults and digs, and the other students are all smiling and keeping quiet. It infuriates Wallace that no one has the guts to stand up to the bullying boy. When Lilly joins in with her boyfriend, Wallace tentatively puts his hand on Veronica's.

"Yeah, Logan, you're right. Veronica's such a whore that she's just got to have everyone!" Lilly's shrill voice carries even further than Logans, probably reaching the few people who are in the parking lot. At this comment, however, Veronica can't take it anymore, and stands up angrily.

"I'm sorry, did you mistake me for your reflection, Lilly, because let's get one thing straight, _I'm. Not. You." _ Veronica's voice is quiet but furious, and the silence around the quad means that everyone can hear what she's saying. "But I do know you well enough to know that the reason you're being so vocal about my apparent sexual habits is that you hate the fact that now there is one guy that you most definitely can't have your way with, because I got to him first and he knows the truth." With that, Veronica picks up her bag and stalks into the parking lot. Before she leaves the quad, she turns to find everyone staring at her. "Oh my God, just get cable, you sad idiots. Cable or a spine."

Wallace follows her to her car, a rusty black LeBaron, where she is standing, breathing deeply.

"Are you okay, Veronica? You kinda blew up back there." He shyly touches her shoulder, and is shocked when the thick-skinned girl turns around and gives him a big hug.

"I'm so sorry. If it wasn't for me you wouldn't be a part of all this animosity. You'd just be one of those lemmings allowed to live quietly on the sidelines." She gushes into his shoulder.

"You forget, if it wasn't for you I'd probably still be taped to that flag pole, experiencing major chafing!" He says, trying to make her laugh. He doesn't succeed, but she pulls away from him and smiles bitterly.

"I hate the way they all follow her. She really is the Queen of Neptune High, and they are her humble peasants." She speaks bitterly. "And I used to be the Princess. How did I ever hold my tongue about all her antics."

"Seeing you now, I have absolutely no idea." Wallace admits, with a grin.

"Did you know that I used to be this quiet, meek, shy kid. I used to be all soft and cuddly, long blonde hair and candy cane dreams. And now look at me." She gestures to herself. "All angles and choppy hair. I can't stop myself from saying what I think, even if I try."

She looks like she's about to cry. "I've been forced to change so much."

"I may not be the best judge of this, having only just met you and never seen this 'old-veronica' you speak of," Wallace says, hesitantly, "But it seems to me that you're better off this way – if not happier then definitely truer to yourself."

Veronica looks up at her new friend in shock at his perceptiveness.

"Well well well, Wallace Fennel…oh! That rhymed, I'm a genius!" After her brief respite into what she would forever after refer to as her 'career as a poet' she becomes serious again. "Anyway, it seems to me that you know me pretty well already. You're right, I am better off."

They smile at eachother, enjoying a quiet moment in the parking lot, before they're interupted by catcalls coming from Logan, who had followed Veronica to the edge of the quad to torment her. Both Wallace and Veronica turn and flip the surfer off, before turning back to eachother and grinning widely.

"Wallace, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm not sure how good this chapter has turned out, because I'm writing it on christmas day, when I'm ill and feeling really rotten. But I hope it lives up to expectations, as always I own nothing but the plot, and I would really appreciate your reviews.**

After school, Veronica drives over to her dad's office. Keith Mars, former Sheriff, is now a private investigator and runs a company called Mars Investigations. His only employees are himself and Veronica, but they like it just being the two of them. Veronica jokes that theirs is the first true family business, as no outsiders are employed.

"Mars Investigations, how may I help you?" Veronica is sitting behind the desk in what they like to call the foyer, which in reality is one of only two rooms that they rent for office space, speaking on the phone to a prospective client.

As she chats to the client, and notes down their details and the package they want, someone enters the office and sits down on the scruffy couch. Veronic glances up, and sees that it's the king of Neptune High himself; Logan Echolls. He seems uncomfortable in his surrounding, a rare sight to see in the boy whose confidence and ego are larger than his movie star father's. Veronica can't help forcing him to squirm for several minutes longer, as she takes another call and files something away. Finally, when she can stall no more, she turns her attention to her former friend.

"What can I do for you, Logan?" She asks, loving the feeling of having power, even if its only a small amount of power, over him.

He glances up at her briefly, before fixing his eyes on the stained glass behind her. She feels slightly hurt that he can't even bring himself to look at her, but reminds herself that she doesn't care.

"I need to hire your dad, Mars." This taciturn Logan is not one she is familiar, or comfortable, with. Normally he has a million things to say, but now that they are alone together he seems to be lost for words.

"_Logan Echolls _wants to hire Keith Mars, former Sheriff, the least respected PI in the 09er district?" She can't help but show her surprise. Although her dad had been respected as Sheriff, his part in the accusation of Jake Kane had lost him the loyalty of all the richest people in town. New comers, and those from the poorer districts trusted him with their lives, but those who were allies and friends to the Kanes had cut Keith Mars out of their hearts forever. Much like she had been cut out at school, Veronica muses.

"I need to hire someone that no one will suspect has been hired by me. I can't have anyone getting wind of this." He explains, briefly.

"What's the case?" Her curiousity gets the better of her, and even as she asks, she knows it's unprofessional. But Logan's always been able to make her speak her mind, even if he doesn't know he has the skill.

"That's none of _your _business, Mars. I want to make an appointment with your dad, you know, the guy that actually solves the cases." He snaps.

"Hey, I'll have you know that I do work of my own!" She's getting indignant now, and realises that she can't let Logan see the effects his words are having on her. "Fine. He'll be back in about 45 minutes, so he'll be able to squeeze you in at 5.40."

"Right. I'll be back then." Without another word, or a backward glance, Logan strides out of the office, leaving Veronica to ponder what on earth he wants her father to investigate.

When Veronica walks into school the next day she sees Wallace waiting for her outside her locker. She could get used to having a friend to walk to class with again. They chat about random stuff – where Wallace used to go to school, whether he's nervous about his basketball tryout – but are interupted by Logan as he walks purposefully towards them.

"Mars. Your dad told me he was too busy to take my case personally, so he's handing it over to you." He makes to walk off after he's dropped this bombshell, but Veronica grabs him by the arm, and forces him to walk beside her.

"What? My dad wants me to take your case?" She is almost certain that he's just saying this to throw her off, but a beep from her phone announces a text from her father telling her the same thing. "Shit."

"Why the sudden change of heart, Mars? Yesterday you wanted to know what my case was about more than anything." He mocks her, and people begin to notice that Neptune's self proclaimed King is walking the halls with the lowest of all peasants.

"Yesterday I also wanted to try brussel sprouts again, but how things have changed." She says, airily.

"Why the hell would you want to try brussel sprouts, Mars, you've hated them ever since that time at Duncan's." He laughs, before remembering that they aren't friends, and fond memories are no longer allowed to be shared.

"Exactly. It was a moment of uncharacteristic stupidity, much like my showing curiousity about your case. Today, I want nothing to do with either those greens or you." She explains. Wallace is watching the two of them exchange barbs, impressed at Logan's confidence in the face of the angry blonde that he has already learned not to cross.

"I will pay you two grand if you solve it for me." He knows that money is her weak point now that she and her father are struggling to get by on his measly PI salary.

"I'm going to need that in writing, Echolls." She hasn't agreed yet, but Logan knows that she will do it, and he answers in the affirmative before stutting towards his friends, confident in the knowledge that his questions will finally be answered.

"Dude, what were you doing talking to the skank?" Dick Casablancas, notorious playboy and surfer and one of Logan's best friends, asks.

"Just the usual, I said she was a lowlife, she said I was scum, blah blah blah." He replies, laughing with his buddies. Duncan tries to chuckle along with them, but he can tell that there was more to the conversation than Logan is letting on, and he's beginning to feel jealous of the dynamic that's been struck up between his best friend and his ex. He gets even more jealous when Veronica approaches the group of 09ers and instead of sparing him a glance, which she normally does and which always gives him the power to get through the day because he thinks its her way of showing she doesn't hate him, she makes straight for Logan.

"Lunchtime, meet me in the journalism room to start work, Echolls." She says as she breezes by him. He opens his mouth to make a joke, probably about her having a 'job' to do on him, but she cuts him off. "At least wait until I'm gone before you start telling your lackeys that I'm going to service you later." Her voice drips with disdain as she leaves the little group speechless.

Logan saunters into the journalism room late, but Veronica isn't surprised. As keen as she know's he will be to discuss his case, and to have over an hour of uninterupted snarking, she knows that he won't want to seem too eager, and he's probably been shooting his mouth off about doing dirty things to her, or something. When she asks if this is the case, however, she is pleasantly surprised.

"Actually, Mars, I was just handing in a few pieces of homework. Trust me, I want as few people as possible to know about this meeting."

"I guess I kinda ruined that earlier, huh?" She says it regretfully, but she grins mischeiviously to show that she really doesn't care. "What is so important that you had to come to the least respected PI and his daughter in the whole of upper-class Neptune?"

"It's about my dad. I think he's having an affair. At least one." Logan is uncomfortable about telling his worst enemy this, but she honestly doesn't care.

"Logan, anyone can tell you that your father is having at least _three _affairs." She replies, acidly. There's always been something she disliked about Aaron Echolls, even when she was regularly spending time at his house with her friends. He flirted with her and Lilly shamelessly, and pretended not to notice the look of hurt in his wife's eyes when she caught him.

"Yeah, yeah, you don't have to remind me, Mars. I need actual evidence, not your word against Aaron's. Pictures, conversations, honey traps, whatever it takes." Once again, Logan is studiously looking anywhere but at Veronica. He hates showing his family's weakness like this, but if he manages to prove that Aaron is unfaithful then his mother can divorce him and still get the full benefit of the pre-nup.

"Wow, cool it, Echolls. I'll do it, as long as I get the money at the end." Veronica chuckles at how quickly she's going to knock out the case. "Easiest 2 grand I'll ever make."

Seeing, out of the corner of his eye, just how smug and pleased with herself Veronica looks, Logan can't bring himself to point out that his father is sneaky, and it might be trickier than she thinks. He just loves to see her happy, and although he is shocked at realising this, he also discovers that he isn't ashamed of feeling that way.

Neither of them realise just how dangerous the case is going to be.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Here's the next installment. I've been really bad about updating, because I've been out of the country. But school starts on Wednesday, and I always post more in term time, so expect more out of this story. Once again, I own nothing but the story line, so go ahead and enjoy!

The next day, Veronica grills Logan on his father's schedule, so that she can begin tailing him. Logan is less than helpful, and the pair are finding it hard to keep their cool and their voices down in the deserted girls bathroom that Veronica refers to as her office.

"All I'm saying is that if you want my help then you're gonna need to cooperate!" Veronica yells.

"And all I'm saying is that I don't give a crap what my father's schedule is and not all of us are as close to our daddys as you are and so I don't know where he'll be all day tomorrow!" Logan shouts back.

The pair of them continue yelling, and Logan is moving towards Veronica, trapping her against the sink.

"I'm not expecting you to have a great rapport with Aaron, just to be a bit useful! It's _your _case, so maybe _you _should take an interest!" Veronica shows no signs of being intimidated by the much taller boy towering over her.

Just as she thinks that the fight is going to get violent, a crowd bursts into the toilets, the doorstop finally giving way under the weight of the people listening behind it. Wallace and Lilly stride towards the fighting pair, who are now just glaring at eachother.

"Woah woah woah, V, what's going on?" Wallace asks, trying to come between them. Logan's hands tighten on the sink, one on either side of Veronica's body.

"This _jackass_ doesn't want to cooperate for the good of the case." She replies, icily, her eyes never leaving Logan's.

"And this _bint _won't realise that I don't know the answer to her queries." Logan growls.

"Well, I think that the easiest way to solve this is for Logan to come with me and just forget whatever the hell he is doing with the slut." Lilly announces, tugging on Logan's arm. The three of them ignore her, and the crowd around the bathroom door is shocked by the lack of respect shown for the Queen of Neptune.

"I think you should mind your own business and let me deal with these two." Wallace replies, squaring up to the girl who has done nothing but torment him since his first day. "Come on, Veronica, maybe you should give Logan a chance to explain."

"I'd let him if I thought he had a valid explanation." Veronica snaps, still looking at the boy towering over her. "After seventeen years he ought to have some idea of his father's routine, regardless of how good their relationship is. I could tell you Sheriff Lamb's routine, and I make it a point to avoid him."

"Yeah, well according to you I only think about myself, so why would someone as egotistical as me notice anything about other people?" Logan said, sarcastically.

"Sadly, I actually thought that you behaved differently towards your family and the people you care about." Veronica snarks. "After all, you've known my schedule by heart since we met. Well, up until last year anyway."

Logan starts at the realisation that he knows Veronica's schedule this year, too, even though they aren't friends. He doesn't know why he knows and is careful not to let Veronica know. But he could tell anyone who asks what class she has after lunch, and the knowledge worries him slightly. Veronica notices his change in manner, and hers changes too.

"I get that this isn't easy for you, and that you're uncomfortable about the case and all that stuff, but I expect you to have some semblance of a schedule written up for me by the end of the week." Both she and Logan have forgotten about the crowd of people watching their fight from the doorway, and as she moves his suddenly slack arm, and walks out of the bathroom she is surprised at having to push past the staring teenagers.

Veronica and Logan steer well clear of eachother for the next few days. The fact that he knows her timetable is now useful to Logan, although still deeply disturbing, and he finds that he is deliberately dodging the corridors where she she has classes, and the block where her locker is. Veronica's method of avoidance is simpler; if she sees him she hides, or just cuts him down without a word.

Logan has spent several hours placating Lilly for ignoring her during his fight with Veronica, where she complained bitterly about being overshadowed by 'that skanky attention seeker' and he just sat nodding, his mind somewhere else. He was worried by the fact that most of the time, the somewhere else was wherever he thought Veronica would be; Mars Investigations, her apartment – wherever that was nowadays – detention. He just wishes she wasn't so sexy. He hadn't really noticed her in that way when they were friends. He'd liked her, cared about her, thought she was pretty enough, but she's had to come out of her shell for him to really find her attractive.

On Friday he's once again tackled into the bathroom, a different one this time, so that people are less likely to know where they are. She looks at him expectantly, and he starts rattling off the little information he's been able to find out.

"He plays tennis everyday. Trina says he does it for 2 hours, starting from like 9 or 10 in the morning, and then meets his agent in the clubhouse for a pre-lunch drink and business talk. My mom meets him for lunch at a restaurant somewhere, and then he does all of his actor shit; script reading, celebrity appearances, all that crap. That's all I know until he gets home at about 7 every night." He recites it as if it's French verb conjugations, looking bored.

"Good." She says nothing else, just walks out of the bathroom into the bustling hallways of Neptune High.

"Wait!" He runs after her, and grabs her arm. "My dad has a bodyguard. If he catches you following Aaron then he'll turn you into the Sheriff, or just take care of you himself." She is staring at him quizically, unsure of why he's telling her this. "Just…be careful."

"Well there's something I never thought I'd hear; Logan Echolls worrying about my safety." She smiles wryly, and walks over to her locker. "Relax, Logan, I'm a pro at this stuff. I'll be fine."

He watches her saunter into a classroom. He knows without looking at the teacher entering or the books that were in Veronica's hands that she's got Spanish now, with Miss Hernandez. _'I'll be fine.'_

"I sure hope so." He whispers, as he walks into his own class.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: you see, I told you I update more in termtime, and since I have the day off school tomorrow (thank god for the 11+ exam) I can stay up late into the night and write chapters for you my lovely readers! I hope you enjoy this latest installment, once again I only own the plotline.**

The next day Veronica gets up early, and drives her nondescript LeBaron to the Echolls household, so that she can be sure she sees Aaron's whole day. She makes a note of his license plate and then settles down with her breakfast to wait for him.

Logan, peering out of his window, unsure why he's up so early, notices the blonde PI across the street and prays that neither his dad or the bodyguard notice her waiting. He catches her eye and gives a slight wave, before going back to bed, where a different blonde is waiting for him. Confused about what he had been feeling the day before, Logan had called Lilly and invited her over. As usual, one thing led to another and Lilly had ended up spending the night.

Out on the street Veronica wonders what possessed Logan to wave at her like that – so friendly, and slightly intimate – and realises that she quite likes it. She had noticed his weird face when she'd mentioned him knowing her schedule, and it confused her. But she couldn't let herself start thinking about Logan. She knew from when they were friends that it was very easy to let Logan fill her thoughts. She didn't like to dwell on it, but she had had a crush on Logan for several years of their friendship. She'd made herself forget about it when Duncan had asked her out, and she was certain that she hated him now – after all, who wouldn't after all he done to her. Yeah, she hated him…mostly.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Aaron and his body guard climbing into his Land Rover and driving off. Veronica immediately went into stealth mode, following, but making sure she was 2 cars behind and one across, so that nobody would notice that she was tailing. Sure enough, Aaron reaches the country club at about nine o clock, and gets out of the car, tennis racket in hand.

She then works out how she can get into the members club – which is exclusive. She checks her appearance and, realising that jeans and a band tee aren't the correct dress for the club, forages around in the bag she always keeps in the back of her car which contains bits and pieces of other outfits. Finding a white linen skirt, and an addidas tank top, she dresses for tennis, and then sneaks into the club through the staff entrance.

Once inside she borrows a tennis racket, and goes out to the courts. Aaron is enjoying a heavy work out with some other rich dude, and she sits down on one of the benches for observers. After an energetic game, Aaron looks up and notices the familiar blonde watching him, and goes over to her.

"Why, hello Veronica. I didn't realise you frequented the club." Aaron is friendly, and slightly flirty, and Veronica once again gets the crawling feeling of discomfort she always felt when visiting the Echolls household.

"Oh, I don't normally, but a friend of mine," She fakes an embarassed face, "A guy actually, asked me here for a game of tennis. Of course, he's late. Or at least I hope he is." Aaron looks sympathetic, and invites her for a game while she waits for her date. "Oh, that's so nice of you, Mr Echolls!" The peppy innocent act comes easily to her and he is completely sucked in. She checks her watch, and realises that it is nearly time for Aaron to leave, and she doesn't want to make a difference to his routine. "Actually, I ought to go, my dad is expecting me, so I'll have to bail on my friend after all!" She fakes disappointment, and waves as she jogs away.

Veronica has been following Aaron all day, and so far he has been the model husband. After his game of tennis he went for a drink with his agent, and then drove to lunch with Lynn Echolls, stopping on the way to pick up some flowers for her. Afterwards he went to his agent's office, where he had a meeting. While he was in there, Veronica went into the main reception to leave a bug – in case his secret affairs where taking place in the office. It was a simple task – delivering a bunch of flowers for Aaron's agent – but she had had to make sure that her target didn't come out of the office and recognise her.

She follows him to a few more meetings, but nothing happens, and the only women he comes in contact with are the receptionist at a private doctor's clinic, and the parking warden who tries to ticket his car. He takes only a passing interest in both of them, as neither are especially attractive, and is obviously only using them to stoke his already inflated ego.

Disappointed, Veronica follows him back to the 90909 district and his home. She decides to go in and tell Logan about her failure, so that she can enjoy the rest of her weekend without the case being on her mind. Waiting about 10 minutes after Aaron enters the house, she then walks over to the house and rings the doorbell. Mrs Navarro answers the door, and greets Veronica with a smile, as she remembers how she helped clear Weevil's name.

"Why hello, Veronica. What are you doing here?" She speaks heavily accented english, and realising that it's difficult for her, Veronica tries to answer in her shaky high school Spanish.

"Quiero hablar a Logan." She says – 'I want to talk to Logan'.

"Sí, sí, es en el salón." Mrs Navarro leads her along a passage plastered with posters from Aaron's previous films. Veronica tries not to look at the apparently attractive face smiling down at her from left and right, but finds that she'd actually rather be stuck in that hall of fame than witnessing what she does when she walks into the living room.

Logan and Lilly are going at it on the couch, both wearing very little. Veronica is incredibly uncomfortable with the situation, but Lilly looks confident – although Logan is bright red – and so she is determined not to let them see her discomfort. She smirks and gives them a once over.

"So, this is how the upper classes spend their weekends. Wow, and I thought running around after cheating spouses was tiring." She leans against the doorframe, and directs her next comment directly at Logan, who is scrambling around getting his clothes back on. "No wonder you always fall asleep in class, Echolls. Miss Kane here is giving you a better work out than you'd get if you went to gym class."

"What are you doing here, Mars?" Lilly's voice cuts Veronica off, her tone bitchy and annoyed at the interuption.

"Well I've obviously come to make up that threesome Logan's always been on about wanting." Veronica replies wryly. Logan actually looks up, perky at the thought of a threesome with the two beautiful blondes. "Keep your pants on, Echolls, it was a joke." Veronica says, noticing his eagerness.

"Damn right it's a joke. I don't share with sluts. Who knows what kind of diseases she's got." Lilly sneers, biting Logan's neck in a possessive manner. Logan still has said nothing.

"Right. Well. I need to talk to you, Logan, so I'll be on Dog Beach when you're available to talk. Don't make me wait too long, though, or who knows who I'll have told about what I found out today." With that, Veronica strides out of the room, and goes back to her car.

By the time she gets to the beach, Logan is already in his car and on the way there. He shook off Lilly without great difficulty. She's probably on her way to meet her bit on the side, Logan muses as he drives to Dog Beach. He parks, but doesn't immediately see Veronica waiting for him.

She is sitting a way along the beach on some very familiar jutting rocks. He recognises them as the ones that the Fab Four used to hang out on. Lilly had since decided that the beach was no place for cool people to hang out, and since Veronica's defection – as he liked to call it – Logan, Lilly, Duncan and their friends hadn't been back there. By the looks of it, Veronica is a regular fixture there, as people walking their dogs, or sunbathing are greeting her and exchanging pleasantries.

He wanders over, trying not to look too eager, and sits down beside her. Her legs are pulled up, and she is hugging them to her chest. She doesn't acknowledge his presence, merely waves to a passing jogger.

"So, you still come here, huh?" Logan asks.

"Yeah, it's the only place I can walk Back-up and not be stared at for having a dog bigger than I am." She laughs, and greets another dog owner.

"I miss coming here, you know." Logan confides, unsure why he is, in fact, telling her this. "But of course Lilly doesn't think we should deign to come here nowadays. Doesn't stop the waves being best on this beach."

"Yeah, so I've been told. Never seen the appeal of surfing personally." She replies, as Weevil and a couple of guys from his gang wander over.

"This punk bothering you, V?" Weevil asks, his concern hidden behind a gruff exterior.

"No, she actually told me to come here, so you can just stop trying to protect your little crush and back off, Paco." Logan replies, snipily. Veronica frowns at him, and tries to calm Weevil down.

"He's fine for now, Weevs. We're just talking business, nothing to worry about." She puts a hand on his arm, and Logan envies their easy relationship. He can't remember the last time Veronica touched him in a friendly manner. "By the way, my brake light blew yesterday. Think you can get your hands on a new one for me?" The signature Veronica-Mars-headtilt is used, and Weevil holds out his hand. "You don't need my keys for obtaining a lightbulb, Eli."

"Yeah, yeah, I just thought you'd let me turn on the radio while I changed the bulb, V." He grumbles.

"I don't need you to change it for me, just get me one from that uncle of yours." She frowns slightly. "Why do guys always think that I need help and saving? 'Oh poor me, can't change a lightbulb in case I break a nail!'" She falsettos, then glares at both Logan and Weevil, before offering her final starement. "I hate Lilly for stereotyping all blondes as needing guys to do everything for them."

Both boys are speechless. Her last words had been venemous, and Weevil steps back a bit, in consternation.

"Okay, well I'll get the bulb, V. You owe me one, that good for you?" He grins, hesitantly, and Veronica shakes off her sudden dark mood, and smiles back.

"Remind me the next time you want me to bail you out of jail that you got me a new brakelight." She laughs, as he and his cronies walk away, towards where their motorbikes are.

"Wow, Mars, you have that leatherhead wrapped round your little finger." Logan chuckles.

"He knows better than to get on my bad side." She laughs along with him, and they both feel like it's old times again. "Lilly uses sex as a manipulator. I use fear."

"Damn right, I know I'm terrified of you sometimes, Ronnie." The old nickname slips out easily, and at first neither of them realise that Logan's even said it. But only a second later, Veronica recovers her awareness of their situation, and realises what he's done.

"Don't call me that." She snaps.

"You used to love it when I called you Ronnie." Logan murmurs.

"Yeah, I loved it when you used it as an insult, too, Logan." She says, bitterly. He realises that he has hurt her a lot more than he knew, and immediately wants to make it right.

"Oh God, Ronnie, I'm really sorry. I should never have treated you the way I did. I was just mad is all." He starts to explain but gets cut off sharply by the girl next to him.

"I didn't catch your dad getting up to anything." She says abruptly, sliding off the rock and brushing down her jeans. She starts walking away and throws her final words over her shoulder. "I'll try again on Monday."

Logan wants to keep her there, make her listen to him, make her understand him, but knows that she won't let him. He watches her walk back to the parking lot, and sees Weevil standing there, a small box in his hand. He gives it to Veronica, and they bump fists, and joke about something. Logan hates how comfortable she is with the biker she has only known for a few weeks, while his relationship with her – one spanning years – has become strained. He hates that their only interaction is the daily sniping at school, or the newer development of the adultery case. He wishes they could go to Starbucks and bitch about the Kanes, and whatever annoying thing either of them has done this time, like they used to.

But he also knew that he had put paid to anything like that happening when he had started tormenting her for having some kind of loyalty to her family.

"I guess I just don't know the love that enables you to give up everything you know for someone." Logan mutters, as he too slides off the rocks and saunters back to his Xterra. By the time he gets to the car park, Veronica's unmistakeable rustbucket LeBaron is long gone.

It's then that Logan vows that he will get Veronica Mars to forgive him, even if it takes him the rest of his life to do it. Even as he decides it, he wonders why he cares so much.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Right, here's the next installment, and I'm really apprehensive about it. There's a pretty graphic scene in it – not really sex, but anyway – and I don't know how well I've written, so feedback is really really really appreciated for this chapter! I only own the plotline, and even bits of that are taken from the TV show, but enjoy…**

Veronica isn't at school on Monday. Logan hopes it's because she's tailing his father, but he's worried that after their argument at the beach she won't want to do his case – even for two thousand dollars. When he drives by Mars Investigations later on her car isn't outside, and it isn't in the parking lot at Dog Beach either. He even cruises past her apartment block, just in case she's decided to stay at home, but her car is nowhere in sight.

"Dammit, Veronica, where are you?" Logan groans as he pulls into his own driveway. Still sitting in his car, Logan ponders the places she could be – he's got to see her to find out how the case is going, he reasons. Even as he thinks it, he knows that he's lying to himself. He's looking for her because he wants to see her, talk to her.

He decides to do a little sleuthing of his own. He knows roughly what his father is doing when, and is sure that if Veronica can do this then anyone can. Deciding that his bright yellow 4 by 4 is far too conspicuous for tracking, and quickly switches to the black BMW in the family's garage.

"Logan, what are you doing with Dad's Beemer?" Trina's arrogant voice rings across the driveway.

"I'm going out. Tell Mom I won't be back for dinner." He snaps.

"Aren't you grounded, little brother?" Trina reminds him, tauntingly.

"Tell Mom I won't be back for dinner." He repeats, driving off before his sister can say anything else. He hates the way she treats him – the same sort of way as their father – with disdain, as if she is better than him. "Well, time to find Ronnie." He murmurs, driving to Aaron's agent's office.

Sure enough, when he reaches the office he sees his father's other, silver, BMW, and Veronica's crappy Saturn. As he pulls into a parking space, Aaron drives off, and Veronica follows shortly afterwards.

"Ah, so we've got a chase." Logan is beginning to enjoy himself. He follows Veronica, using the trick that he has learnt from watching endless detective films with said blonde while they were friends. "Two cars behind and one to the left."

He tails Veronica, who is tailing Logan, around town on errands, and his enjoyment of sleuthing is wearing off. Finally, however, something appears to be happening. Aaron pulls up outside the Camelot motel, and saunters in as if he owns the place. A few minutes later, a slutty looking brunette arrives and also enters the scummy motel.

Veronica waits a few minutes, and then Logan sees her go inside. She comes back out and starts climbing the outside stairs. She stops outside a window and pulls out her camera, straining and twisting to get a good shot.

"So this is what she spends her afternoons doing." Logan laughs. He enjoys seeing Veronica in action. It gives him a sense of what she's like now. It's obviously a big part of her, and he likes getting a better perspective on her. After all, if he understands her then he can win her back more gets lost in his musings of what he's going to do to get back into her good books, and when he looks up again, Veronica is nowhere in site. "Shit, Ronnie, what's going on?"

Veronica shifts as her bonds cut uncomfortably into her wrists and ankles. She can't believe she got caught – got tricked. She'd just been getting the money shot – literally, the last one she'd taken was worth more like five thousand dollars – and contemplating how it must feel to have photo proof of your parent cheating when she'd been seized.

Aaron Echolls' firm grip had wrapped around her arms and tugged her into the motel room before she had even had a chance to scream. He had dismissed the brunette he had been with and tied Veronica to the rickety chair that was standard in all Camelot rooms. He'd then disappeared into the bathroom, and not come out since.

She tried to hook her ankle around the strap of her messenger bag, but it was too far away and her legs couldn't get far from the chair, or eachother. Just as she gave up on both the flick-knife in her bag and the cigarette lighter in her unreachable front pocket, Aaron emerged from the bathroom.

He is shirtless, and for once Veronica understands part of the appeal of the movie star – he is in perfect shape, and has the same broad shoulders taping into a narrow waist that she knows Logan had from hanging by the pool. But she snaps out of her musing quickly, as she remembers that however good his body is, Aaron is holding her captive and no one knows where she is.

"Right, you little bitch, did you take any pictures of what was going on in here?" Aaron snaps. Veronica realises that her only way out of this situation with proof is by lying. She knows from Logan's stories, and from witnessing it herself when Aaron thought he was alone, that he has a violent temper.

"No. I'd only just got my camera out." She whispers. Although she won't ever admit it to anyone, Veronica is terrified of what will happen to her, and can't make herself sound brave.

"Good. I wouldn't want any news of this getting out. Now who hired you?" He leans his menacing face closer to hers.

"Uh, no one," Veronica improvises. "I was hoping to catch a shot of a star cheating on their partner so that I could sell it to the press. You were just the one I saw."

This answer angers Aaron, and he strikes her across the face. "Yeah, well you interrupted my little bit of fun, so you better make up for it." Veronica shrinks away as he rips her t-shirt down the shoulder and pulls it off, exposing her. "You'd better be one good fuck."

Veronica is practically paralysed with fear as he unties her from the chair and throws her onto the bed, strapping her wrists to the headboard. She kicks out at him as he gets close again, and when he shoves his rough tongue into her mouth she bites down, hard.

"You little bitch." He breathes, backhanding her, and pulling off her jeans. "Now, time for you to play nice." Stripping off his trousers and boxers, Aaron pulls a gun out of his tennis bag, and holds it to her head, before shoving his erection into her mouth. "Or else."

Veronica's given head before – she and Duncan did practically everything but have sex, after all, but never at gunpoint, and never when she's this scared. It seems to take forever for him to climax, and he makes her swallow. He then rips off her panties and enters her roughly.

"Scream for me bitch." He growls, and she does just that; the pain intensifying with every thrust.

Veronica passes out from the pain and terror, and when she comes round again, Aaron has untied her and gone, leaving her clothes and bag on the floor of the room. Getting up gingerly, she tries to block out the memories of the past few minutes as she pulls on her jeans and bra. Thankful for the first time that she's got a spare shirt in her bag, she pulls it on, before realising that it's the one she borrowed from Logan after he threw her into the pool last year.

"Everything comes up Echolls." She mutters, as she picks up her bag and limps out of the room, and down the stairs. When she gets to her car she is surprised to see Logan pacing up and down in front of it.

"Shit, Ronnie, you scared the crap out of me!" He says, grabbing her shoulders, in the same place as his father did. Fear floods into her heart, even though she knows that Logan would never hurt her physically like Aaron did. "Where did you go?"

Veronica realises that she has a choice; either tell Logan what happened to her, and have to endure the disbelief and accusations of lying and stupidity that she had after Shelley Pomeroy's party, or keep it to herself and get revenge on her own. She choose the latter option, after a long pause in which Logan stares at her intently.

"I went to grab a cup of coffee. What were you doing following me anyway?" She snaps.

"I thought it'd be fun to see what the whole private investigator thing." He admits, scuffing his shoes on the floor and avoiding her gaze bashfully.

"Wow. That's really sad." She states, flatly. "But, uh, anyway. I got the shot. Thinking of putting my price up too, cos this one is really good and I'd get more if I went straight to the press with it."

"How much are you talking?"

"Five grand. And no less." She says, shortly. "I'll print it off and give it to you tomorrow. Right now I have to go."

Before Logan can say another word, Veronica clambers into her car and drives off towards the one person she knows she can talk to; Wallace.

She and Wallace had got incredibly close since she'd cut him down from the flag pole, and he had saved her from attacking Logan, and she knows that he'll believe her and comfort her if she tells him. His mother is less keen on her than Keith is on Wallace, but even that won't keep her away from Wallace's 05 zip townhouse.

She hops out of her car and knocks impatiently. Alicia Fennel, said disapproving mother, comes to the door and frowns, but when she sees how close Veronica is to tears she simply tells her that Wallace is in his room, and lets her through. She hurtles along the corridor, and bursts into her friend's room without knocking.

"Hey, V, what's hanging?" Wallace asks, before looking up and noticing the state his friend is in. He opens his arms, and she runs into them, finally letting out the tears she has been holding in since she left the Camelot. "Sh, sh, it's okay." He whispers, as they sink down onto his bed.

She falls asleep after she's cried herself out, and Wallace pulls his covers over her. He goes out to tell his mom that Veronica is staying the night, and calls Keith to tell him the same thing. When he reenters his room, he sees her phone buzzing and he answers it.

"Hello? Veronica's phone." He says, unsure of what his friend will say to him answering her calls.

"Where's Ronnie?" Wallace recognises the frantic voice of Logan Echolls, "I need to talk to her. Is she okay?"

"She's uh…" He doesn't know what he should say, after all, while he knows that Veronica was working on a case for Logan, the last time he saw them together, or heard her talk about him was after their fight in the toilets. "She's okay, I guess. Asleep right now, though, so you can't speak to her."

"I'm coming over. You're Fennel, the basketball guy, aren't you?" Logan's tone is arrogant, but it's clear to Wallace that he is worried about Veronica, and so he gives the boy his address, and hangs up.

Logan struts through the house a short time later, and Wallace realises that he must have been driving way over the speed limit to get there so quickly.

"Ronnie, Ronnie, you've gotta wake up." Logan mutters, as he shakes her gently. She groans and rolls over, mumbling. As she rolls, her shirt rides up and both guys catch a glimpse of a purple bruise forming on her ribs. "Holy crap. Ronnie, no more sleeping, you've gotta wake up and tell me and flag-pole-dude what happened."

Veronica reluctantly rouses herself, and sits up, her hair tousled and her expression annoyed. She starts slightly when she sees Logan kneeling in front of her, but visibly relaxes when Wallace sits on the bed and takes her hand.

"V, how did you get that bruise on your ribs?" He asks, gently.

"There's a bruise on my ribs?" Veronica shifts, and sucks in a breath as her bruise is knocked against. "Yeah, I bet there is." Logan hesitantly reaches for the hem of her shirt. "What do you think you're doing, Echolls?" She asks, moving away from him, unable to separate the boy in front of her from the man who attacked her only a few short hours ago.

"I need to look at that bruise, need to make sure you're not bleeding internally or anything." She gives him a sceptical stare. "Hey, I just know about this kinda thing, no need to look so suspicious. You were the one who told Lilly I had hidden depths, remember?" She smiles slightly at the memory, and allows him to lift her shirt over her head. "Hey, this is mine! How long have you had this?"

He keeps her distracted, talking about the time he'd lent her the shirt, and why she'd forgotten to give it back, while he inspects her bruise and finds other ones scattered across her back and stomach. Wallace just holds her hand and watches the easy way that these two enemies are interacting. Both boys, however, are holding back their concern for the tiny blonde and her injuries.

"Holy crap, V, what happened to you?" Wallace finally asks, unable to hold in his consternation any longer.

She leans into him and murmurs something softly into his ear, so that Logan can't hear. Her face is impassive but Wallace immediately jumps up looking thunderous.

"That ratbastard did what to you?!" He yells, pacing the room frantically. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I couldn't." She says shortly, as Logan looks on curiously.

"What happened, Fennel?" Logan asks, worry etched into every feature.

Wallace pulls him into the bathroom, aware that Veronica whispered her story because she didn't want to see Logan's reaction. He tells the richer boy to keep his voice down and then begins explaining.

"Veronica said that while she was taking 'the money shot', as she puts it, your dad spotted her and took her inside. Then he tied her to the bed and raped her." Wallace explains, trying to keep his voice calm. "She said that she passed out and when she came round he was gone. Then she came over here."

"Oh my God. She didn't come straight here." Logan is trying his hardest to stay calm and not punch the mirror in front of him. "I was looking for her, and she said she'd gone to get coffee and that she'd give me the picture tomorrow." He tips his head back until it hits the wall. "I could tell something was wrong – I can always tell with Veronica – and I didn't make her tell me. I let her go and I didn't try to help her." His expression is one of agonising guilt. "I thought it was something small, you know, something Ronnified like her camera smashed or something. Do you wanna know how I found out that it was important. I knew that it was to do with Aaron – because he told me. When he was fucking beating me. He taunted me with the fact that now he'd broken me _and _my little blonde friend." Logan has been shouting for several minutes now, and before either boy realises, the door has opened, and Veronica is giving Logan a bear hug. "Why couldn't you tell me, Veronica?"

"I guess I couldn't separate the guy who put me through so much emotional pain from his dad, who put me through so much physical pain." She whispers. "Have you patched yourself up yet?"

"How long have you known?" Logan mutters, realising for the first time that Veronica doesn't seem shocked that he gets beaten – unlike Wallace, who is still standing with his mouth wide open.

"A couple of years. I knew you wouldn't want my pity or sympathy or anything, so I kept it to myself. But didn't you ever wonder why your first aid stuff was always fresh even though you didn't replace it?" She laughs, softly.

"That was you? I thought it was my mom." He whispers, finally hugging her back. "I haven't even looked at my back yet – I was too worried about you."

As Veronica coaxes Logan's t-shirt off, and begins tending to his cuts and burns, Wallace studies the pair. He notices how comfortable they are with eachother, and how they seem to crave eachothers touch. It's then that he works out that Veronica and Logan are the kind of couple that are meant to be together – and wonders whether either of them realise.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: sorry about the long wait, I've been finding it really hard to write this chapter. First off I wanna thank all of the observant people who realised that I'd published the fifth chapter of Closure again in place of this story. That was a mistake that has been rectified, so make sure you read the correct chapter first. Once again, I'm a bit nervous about the feedback I'm gonna get for the intense scene in that chapter, what with it not being something I know much about. But here is the next one anyway, and I hope its not as disjointed as the times I wrote it were! I feel I should stress that as well as not owning Veronica Mars, I also don't own Jack Daniel's Whiskey, or Stolichniya Vodka. Enjoy…**

The next day at school, Veronica is aware that the dynamic has shifted slightly. There are no insults scrawled across her locker, and when she goes out to her car at the beginning of lunch she finds all of her tyres intact, and her windows whole. However, it is most noticeable when she and Wallace sit down at their usual table to eat. It's not what she hears – there are no apologies, or declarations of allegance from Logan – but what she doesn't hear. There are no insults, or if there are any then they've been said only for the amusement of the exclusive 09er group.

Glancing over at their table, she catches Logan's eye, and they both nod imperceptibly at eachother. He then nods at Wallace, before turning back to his friends. The two outcasts look at eachother, surprised by the richer boys actions, but quickly decide to just treat everything as if it was normal.

"Can I have a fry?" Veronica asks, before reaching over and pinching one. Wallace has long since learned not to complain when she steals bits of his lunch – taking it as one of the quirks and perks of being Veronica's best friend. "I think I could get used to this whole invisibility thing." She remarks, through a mouthful of fries. "Not having to sort out car problems every day, eating lunch in peace, not having to listen to the 09ers unoriginal insults…Lovely."

Wallace chuckles. "Well we know who to thank for that, don't we? Speaking of whom, don't you have a five grand money shot to give to that kid?"

"Holy crap, you're right. What is the world coming to? Logan Echolls is being civil and Veronica Mars is forgetting to claim a salary!" Veronica laughs, as she digs around in her bag and pulls out an unmarked brown envelope. "Back in a few, BFF." She tells him as she stands up and saunters towards the 09er table, unsure of the welcome she will receive.

As she reaches the table, Madison Sinclair and Shelley Pomeroy begin whispering frantically to Lilly, but the guys merely look at her curiously. Duncan feels a shock of hurt go through him as once again Veronica doesn't even look at him, but walks straight over to Logan's side of the table.

"I hope you have that five grand in cash, Echolls." She says, leaning against the table in front of him. Duncan notices that her body language is not as hostile towards his best friend as it used to be, and Logan is even smiling at her.

"Well, lets just see if the shot is worth it, shall we Mars?" Logan smirks, and holds out his hand expectantly.

"You know damn well that these shots are worth ten, easily." She murmurs, so quietly that Duncan has to strain to keep track of the conversation. He wonders what on earth his ex-girlfriend is talking about. "Here, lets see what you make of these."

Logan opens the envelope and slides out the photos, angling them so that even Lilly – who is now leaning over his shoulder to get a peace of the action – can't tell what's on them. His face lights up, but he looks slightly sickened, even through his satisfaction.

"What is it, lover?" Lilly asks, glaring at Veronica and obviously jealous of the way Logan is talking exclusively to Veronica.

"It's none of your business, Lil." Logan snaps, before reaching into his pocket. "Dick and I were gonna go to a strip club last night, before I got caught up, so the first grand is all in ones." He smirks as he says this, and hands over a large wad of cash.

Veronica counts it, biting her lip as she does, and doesn't even realise that all the guys on the table – even Dick and Sean – are watching her nimble fingers move, and her teeth chew at her lips, and thinking dirty thoughts. "Well, everything seems to be in order." She starts walking away, but turns back and grabs an eggroll from Logan's chinese takeout lunch, winking at him, "Thanks."

Logan, Duncan and Lilly all gawk after her – they too know that the stealing of food is practically Veronica's highest mark of friendship. She doesn't notice the stares, nor had she noticed what she'd done to get her hands on the eggroll she's currently eating. But to Logan, her act of thievery is the highest compliment – it shows she thinks of him as someone close to her, someone she cares about – and between the fact that he has one less eggroll and the fantastically incriminating photographs, he feels that his day could hardly get any better.

"So, you caused quite a stir at lunch today." Wallace remarks, as he sits on the couch in Mars Investigations, waiting for Veronica to finish work so that they can go get some food.

"Did I?" Veronica is juggling several heavy boxes, and not really paying attention to her friend's words.

"Yeah, you had the whole 09er table staring at you. Logan's eyes practically popped out of his head when you left." He tells his oblivious friend. "Probably had something to do with that eggroll you took off him."

"Why would that shock him?" Veronica is unaware of her little quirk and doesn't get why people always seem to take her food stealing habits as a great compliment.

"Because, haven't you noticed?" When his friend shakes her blonde head, Wallace just sighs and explains her screening process to her, "Because you only take food from people you trust, people who are your real friends."

"I do? Really? How weird. How do you know?" Veronica has put down the boxes of files, and is sitting on the coffee table, drinking in Wallace's answers.

"Yeah, you do. And I can tell because, come on, have you ever taken food off of Madison's plate?"

"Madison doesn't eat, Wallace, that's how she stays so thin." Veronica tells him, in the voice she reserves for idiots and especially young children.

"Okay, so that wasn't the best example, but have you ever taken food from Dick? Or Casey? Or Sean? You only started taking food from me after a few days." He reasons with her, and Veronica finally sees what everyone else sees.

"So that's why people always gauge my feelings towards them by how much food I leave on their plates." She muses. "I can't believe I hadn't noticed."

She finishes work and they drive to Cho's Pizza for dinner. "It's on me, since I'm rich now!" Veronica laughs, as she forks over the ten dollars for three pizzas; one for Wallace, one for her, and one for them to 'share', which of course meant that Wallace gets a slice and Veronica gets the other seven. They sit down with their food, and pass the time amiably chatting about anything but what Aaron did to her. They don't even notice when a crowd of 09ers enter and sit down at the next table. Lilly, Logan, Duncan and Dick are the only ones that stick around for longer than five minutes, and they definitely notice Veronica and Wallace.

"Well, well, well, it's the Ronster and her piece of tail." Dick proclaims to the whole restaurant. A few customers get up and leave, sensing a brewing storm. "Why must you even take our pizza place?"

"Uh, maybe because I was the one who introduced you all to Cho's?" Veronica asks sarcastically. "If it wasn't for me you'd still be getting your Italian shipped over from LA."

"Yeah, but we're in the majority here, so you should leave." Logan is trying to get him to shut up, and even Lilly seems reluctant to join in with Dick, but he won't shut up.

"Hadn't you heard? Jocks count as four people in any official headcount or vote." Wallace remarks. Veronica turns to look at him, shocked and impressed by his outburst – the first sarcastic thing he's said to someone other than herself.

"Dude, is that true?" Dick sounds truly shocked and worried that it might be.

"Of course not. Fennel over there was just demonstrating some of the wit that's rubbed off from Veronica." Logan mutters, keeping his eyes on his garlic bread.

"But regardless of whether or not its true, we aren't leaving, Dick." Veronica says, with an air of finality. "Can I have a strip of garlic bread, Echolls?"

"Sure thing, why ask?" He jokes, meeting her eyes with a wicked smirk on his face. She tears off a piece from his plate, and goes back to her seat.

"So how about buying some ice cream and heading to the beach after this?" She suggests, through a mouth full of pizza.

"I will never get over your ability to eat twice as much as me – the hungry jock." Wallace laughs, before agreeing readily. "Cookie Dough or Chunky Monkey?"

"Cookie Dough, duh." She replies, doing a good imitation of one of the mindless kids at their school.

"I don't suppose we can tag along? Cookie Dough is my favourite flavour after all." Logan asks, as his friends stare at him incredulously.

"It's a free country." Veronica shrugs. "If you do come, though, I'm not buying you ice cream." She and Wallace finish their meal, pay and leave.

They wander along to the Sac n Pac, and then down to Dog Beach, perching on the Fab Four's rocks. They chat for awhile, before they notice the four 09ers walking down the beach towards them. Logan waves hesitantly, and Veronica returns it with more confidence. Even Lilly doesn't look to bothered about seeing her ex-best friend.

"I hope you brought your own ice cream, because our tub won't stretch to six." Veronica calls out as they approach. Duncan holds up two tubs, and is rewarded with a conspiritorial smile from his ex. He and Logan both sit down on the rocks, leaving Lilly and Dick standing on the sand ambiguously. "Oh just sit your asses down." She orders, and surprisingly they both obey silently.

"So…" Logan tries to find a neutral conversation topic, but realises its impossible. "How about a game?"

"Truth or dare or I've Never?" Veronica queries, as they all turn inwards to make a little circle.

"Both, duh, don't you remember, Veronica? When faced with a choice always do both." Lilly reminds her, and surprisingly the two girls both smile at eachother. Logan thinks that there might be a reconciliation on the horizon, and continues trying to relax the tension among the group.

He pulls a bottle of vodka and a bottle of whiskey out of his pockets. "I've never had a threesome." He proclaims.

"Why Logan, you disappoint me," Veronica teases, "Who am I supposed to look to as the nympho of the school now?"

"Well, you could always look me up, Ronica, because someone has got to pass me the JD." Dick leers at her, as he takes a swig of from the bottle of Jack Daniels. He ignores her comment of 'gross' and thinks for a minute. "I've never been in love."

Duncan, Logan, Veronica and Wallace all reach for the bottles.

"Mm, Stolichniya, my favourite." Veronica comments, as she takes a swig.

"New rule, new rule, we've gotta say when it happened, or who it was with or whatever." Lilly announces, before turning to her on-again-off-again boyfriend. "Don't tell me you were in love with me, Logan."

"I wasn't actually." He says, before blushing slightly. "I was in love with my best friend's girl." Is all he says, leaving the rest of the group to wonder which best friend, and which girl he is referring to. "Veronica."

"Well, I thought I was in love with Duncan, but I didn't really have anything to reference it to, so who knows." She says, cheekily.

The others admit their loves, and it falls to Veronica to say the next thing she'd never done. "It may seem unoriginal, but I've still never been skinny dipping."

"Still? That was almost a year ago, Veronica." Logan laughs, before downing some whiskey. "I feel we ought to remedy that right now."

Surprisingly, Veronica just nods and discards her hoodie. "Anyone gonna join me?" Logan jumps up quickly, discarding his own shirt and trousers, following her to the edge of the water, and walking till he is waist deep before taking off his boxers. Veronica is already chucking her underwear towards the shore, and splashing around happily.

"Man, why didn't I try this before?" She laughs, as Logan sends a splash of water her way. The two of them swim and chat for a bit before wading back to the shore, both keeping their eyes averted, and pulling on their clothes. "Has anyone seen my bra?" Veronica asks the rest of the teenagers, as she and Logan resume their spots on the rocks. About half of each bottle has been drunk in their absence.

"Dick stole it while you two were flirting." Duncan remarks, wryly, as Veronica turns to glare at the blonde surfer. "I've never not known how many people I've slept with."

"And there was me thinking you had a grand total of zero, Duncan." She, Logan and Lilly all say in unison. Duncan flushes red as Logan, Lilly, Dick and a hesitant Veronica all take sips. Everyone turns to stare at the PI as she hunches over her knees, and avoids everyone's eyes. Even Wallace looks surprised at her revelation.

"I thought you were still a virgin, Veronica." Lilly murmurs.

"Well, so did I, until the day after Shelly Pomeroy's sweet sixteen." Veronica is talking quietly, as if she doesn't want her admissions to be heard. "I'm a virgin in the consensual sense, I guess."

"What? That is such crap, Veronica!" Duncan suddenly yells. "It took two people to do what we did that night."

Veronica looks at him with wide eyes before sliding off the rock and striding away down the beach, eyes full of tears. Logan, Wallace and Lilly all jump down onto the sand and follow her. Her shoes have been kicked off as she runs, and it's so dark that the three of them can barely see her fleeing the tipsy teenagers. All three of her friends put on an extra burst of speed, but she's already over a fence and on the roads by the time they start closing the distance.

"We can take my car." Logan says, as the three of them catch their breath. They quickly make their way back to the parking lot, and start cruising the streets of Neptune, searching for a blonde who had recently received life changing news. "Does anyone really understand whats going on?"

"Nope." "Not a clue." Are the simultaneous responses from Veronica's past and present best friends. "But I know it matters." Lilly whispers.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Well, here it is, the next chapter. I've had some pretty mixed reviews about the last chapter; some of you very rightly pointed out that Veronica seemed to have got over her rape pretty quickly. Have no fear, my literary critics, that all comes out this chapter. I really hope you like it. The last bit (the fluffy pointless bit at the end) was inspired by school today, when I did in fact spend my time drawing pirates and moles – very badly, too – and learnt about moles in Chemistry. So I hope you guys like that little bit of life study. Anyway, I only own the plot, nothing else, so enjoy!**

Veronica hurries down the empty streets, not caring where she's going or what she left behind at the beach. All she wants to do is forget what just happened at the beach. Unfortunately, the universe is against her.

"Well, well, if it isn't Miss Nosy." The low voice of Aaron Echolls rings out behind her. She realises that she had turned onto Logan's road about five minutes ago, and now she is only a few houses past the Echolls Mansion. "You should know better than to wander the streets at night."

His voice sends terrified shivers down her spine, and she can feel herself flashing back to that awful moment in the Camelot. Having successfully pushed her rape from her mind for nearly two days, all of her memories and fears come flooding back, exacerbated by the fact that Aaron is looking just as aggressive and aroused as he did that night.

He puts a hand on her shoulder. She jerks it off. He puts his hand on her waist. She moves away. He leers at her, and she can feel her heart pounding in her ears. They repeat their creepy little dance several times, and Veronica begins to regret running off so suddenly. Her phone is still on the rocks, next to Wallace, so she can't even send an SOS text. As Aaron approachs her once again, she hears the screeching of tires rounding a corner at speed.

Never has Veronica been so glad to see Logan's glaringly bright 4 by 4, and when he and Wallace jump out of the car and pull Aaron away from her, she is glad that she has such good friends.

"You keep away from her you filthy piece of scum." Logan growls at his father.

"What are you gonna do about it, son?" Aaron laughs, arrogantly. "No one will belive you, just like no one believes that I beat you."

"This isn't about me. This is about you escalating to raping innocent girls." Logan snarls, before bundling Veronica into the back of the car with Wallace and driving off.

The terrified blonde leans into her best friend, shiverring violently. Wallace rubs comforting circles on her back, and whispers to her, trying to calm her down, and Lilly watches helplessly from the front passenger seat, as Logan drives frantically to the Mars' apartment.

They pull up, and Wallace reaches into her jacket pocket for her house key. "Is your dad home?" He asks, tenderly.

She shakes her head, "Bail jumper." It's all she manages to say, before walking into her apartment and collapsing on the couch.

Logan goes into her fridge, and pours her a glass of water, before searching for the liquor cabinet to get her, and himself, something stiffer. Wallace sits beside his friend, hoping to calm her down, and Lilly sits on her other side, unsure of what to do. Tears are streaming down Veronica's face, and both Logan and Wallace are inwardly kicking themselves for letting her bottle up her feelings about what happened to her.

It takes over an hour for Veronica to finally calm down and stop shaking. In that time, Logan has had several glasses of Keith's best whiskey to calm his own nerves, Lilly has explored the whole apartment twice, and Wallace has lost the feeling in his feet from Veronica sitting on his lap for so long.

"It was just all too much." She finally says, her voice hoarse. "I was trying to be strong and move on, and just try not to let it affect me, but then…the beach…" She trails off, unable to go on.

"V, do you think you can tell us what happened to make you react that way at the beach?" Wallace asks, tentatively.

She nods, before launching abruptly into her story.

_Shelley Pomeroy's sixteenth birthday_

_Veronica wandered through the crowd of hostile 09ers. She didn't know what had possessed her to come to this stupid party. She hadn't been invited, and none of the people here liked her anymore. Logan had been the worst. From the moment she walked into the party he had been hassling her. She'd gone to the bar to take the edge off her reactions to his comments, but didn't understand how she could be feeling so – fluffy was really the only word for it – after only one drink. _

_She was dimly aware of making out with Dick Casablancas, and then Casey Gant, and then Sean Friedrich. She knew that someone had started doing tequila body shots off of her, and that someone else had pulled them off her and helped her to a guest room. She knew that she was alone. That was it. She didn't know what time it was, and she could hardly remember whose house she was in. Before she drifted into unconciousness, she heard the door open and shut, and a possibly familiar voice say "Hey."_

"The next day I woke up without my underwear. I left, went to the Sheriff's department and reported rape. And Lamb didn't believe me. Told me to 'go see the wizard'." Veronica finished, bitterly.

"Ugh," Lilly scoffs with contempt, "And to think we used to think he was hot."

"So not the time Lilly." Logan muttered, before turning to Veronica. "So what Duncan said at the beach.."

"What Duncan said at the beach seems to have cleared up the mystery. It was him. It was consensual. Not rape." She answers, shortly. "But if I can't remember something does it mean that I did give consent? If I wasn't in my mind, because I was most definitely drugged with something, then does me saying that I want to sleep with Duncan mean the same as if I said it when I was sober?" She looks tormented and Logan's heart goes out to this confused, troubled girl.

"Sounds like rape to me." Lilly murmurs. "The police said my blood alcohol was at 2.0. that means I wasn't in control of my faculties so even if I gave permission I wasn't in right mind to do it, so it counted as rape. What the Donut did to you is the same thing."

Logan nods in agreement, and Veronica looks gratefully at her former friend. Wallace just sits there helplessly. He comes from a pretty normal family, and the disfunctional lives of the natives of Neptune are uncharted territory for him. He takes Veronica's hand, and is gratified when she leans into him and squeezes his hand. It's weird for him to be the strong one in their friendship – from practically the moment he met her she has been sticking up for him and protecting him. Now it's his turn.

But while he has been musing, Veronica has started speaking again. He'd thought things would be better now that she'd calmed down, but apparently it has only caused her to remember her previous grievances.

"Why is this any of your business, Lilly Kane?"

"Maybe because my brother is the one who raped you?" Lilly retorts.

"When you came after me you didn't know that." Veronica points out.

"Fine. You got me. I came after you because I care. I care because we used to be best friends. BFFEs. NENENE remember? And maybe I regret what I did to you, and I regret that we couldn't work through what happened. I came after you because even though we haven't had a civil conversation in just over a year, I still care deeply what happens to you." Lilly yells, finally sick of Veronica trying to push everyone away.

Logan realises that he's never seen Lilly this serious – not even in the hospital after her rape. She's always been joking around and flirting, but with Veronica she obviously cares enough not to care about her image and just be human.

Veronica is staring at her, open-mouthed.

"Say something Mars. You're making me think my outburst was a bad idea." Lilly comments, wryly.

She still says nothing, but gets up and gives Lilly a bone crushingly tight hug. The buxom blonde returns the hug whole-heartedly, and the two boys are given the satisfaction of seeing a friendship reformed.

"I'm sorry I was such a bitch just now." Veronica whispers.

"I'm sorry I was such a bitch all year!" Lilly laughs, pulling her smaller friend into her lap. "But I totally love the new you. I thought I loved the old you, but this Veronica is way better."

"But don't you care that I thought your dad did all that stuff to you?" Veronica asks, shocked at the way Lilly is blowing past all their problems.

"I'd rather not think about that right now." Lilly admits. "It'll ruin the moment."

"Well, I just wanna say, that I don't think your dad did it. I just know that the dude who got convicted also didn't do it." Veronica tells her, before dropping the subject.

"Aw, how cute. The whole gang is back together." Logan comments, ironically.

"Except for that pig I'm ashamed to call my brother." Lilly points out. "No way is he in our little group anymore."

"But now we've got Wallace." Veronica laughs, pulling her other best friend into a hug.

The next day the new Fab Four walks into school together, elicting whispers on all sides, especially since Logan has his arm slung over Veronica's shoulder, and Lilly is whispering coyly into Wallace's ear. Speculation is rife as people try and work out whether Wallace is Lilly's new guy or if Veronica and Logan are a couple or just friends, but the four of them just let it wash over them and walk to class.

They all have Chemistry first, and make their way to a lab, taking a table of four together. They get more stares, and even Mr Coss, the teacher, looks surprised. He asks if anyone will swap with Veronica so that she doesn't attack Logan and Lilly, but the four of them just laugh.

"We're advocating peace and love, not war and hate right now, Mr C." Lilly calls.

"Alright, Lilly, as long as you're sure you and Veronica won't regress and start fighting while I'm trying to teach you guys about moles." The two girls nod tritely. "Now. New page, new heading: Moles."

Logan scrawls the heading, and waits for more notes to be dictated. While he is distracted, Veronica doodles a pencil drawing of a mole, with an arrow saying 'mole. But not the chem type.' When he turns back to write down what Mr Coss is saying, he catches sight of the unskilful drawing and grins at his friend, returning the favour with a picture of a little pirate with a speech bubble with the word 'yaaarr' in it.

The four friends continue messing around and joking quietly throughout the lesson.

"But the thing you have to remember is that, just like Hydrogen atoms, Oxygen gas atoms are always found in pairs. Never alone." Mr Coss stresses to his class.

"How nice for them." Veronica mutters as he continues explaining.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lilly asks.

"They've always got a pair, right. So there's, like, never a need for them to be lonely or sad. Cos their pair will always be there to cheer them up." She explains to her amused friends.

"Yeah, and we travel in fours now." Logan tells her. "So none of us can get depressed or hurt."

Veronica realises that he is very right, and thanks her stars that she has reformed her friendships with both Logan and Lilly. They troop out of Chemistry, and have to split up for their next few classes. They reunite at lunch, forgoing the 09er table for Veronica and Wallace's usual table.

"So, who wants to take advantage of my pirate points and order Chinese food?" Lilly asks, as they dump their bags and sit down.

"I can't take another day of cafeteria food, I'll tell you that." Wallace moans. "Chinese sounds great."

They order, and their food comes quickly. Although Veronica has ordered more dishes than all of the others, she still feels the need to scrounge from their boxes, and all three let her – glad that she trusts them enough.

"So, Logan. You and I are totally done this time, right?" Lilly suddenly asks, causing Logan to blush and choke on the eggroll he is eating.

"Uh, yeah, Lill. We broke up like three months ago and haven't been together since. I can safely say that I don't wanna get back together with you." He replies, shooting a furtive glance at Veronica as he speaks. She misses this gauge of her reactions, but Wallace sees everything and resolves to hassle his new friend about it later.

"Good. Cos, I was thinking of introducing my current loverr-" She draws out the word, flirtatiously. "as my new boyfriend." She admits.

"Lilly, that's awesome. I have no clue who he is, but that doesn't stop it being any less awesome!" Veronica squeals, and the two girls begin giggling and whispering.

"You can take the girl out of the girly, but you can never entirely take the girly out of the girl." Logan remarks to Wallace.

Suddenly, Lilly stands up and begins circling the quad, making sure that she has everyone's attention before speaking.

"Ladies and gentlemen. 09ers and 02ers. Cool kids and geeks. I would like to introduce you all to my new boyfriend." She announces loudly, and whispers immediately start flying.

Unabashed at the attention she is receiving, Lilly doesn't say the guy's name. She simply walks over to his table and starts making out with him. Veronica gives him credit for the fact that he only falters for a second, before matching Lilly in enthusiasm and confidence. The guy himself doesn't surprise her one bit; she always knew Lilly like boys like him, but it does surprise everyone else.

Logan sums it up pretty well for the whole quad. "Lilly Kane is dating _Weevil_?"


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I am so sorry that I haven't posted recently. My computer broke for a while, so I couldn't get to the story, and before that I was rehearsing manically for a concert, and of course theres the fact that I've just been generally busy lately. Thank you anyway for all of your feedback after my last chapter. This one is no where near as good, I don't think. It's quite long and just a bit fluffy really, but the LoVe-rs ought to like it. So enjoy, and remember that I only own the plot, and none of the films or brands mentioned.**

After Lilly's bombshell at lunchtime, nothing seemed scandalous enough to stop people gossiping about her and Weevil. Three days later, with whispers still travelling round as soon as she and Weevil even neared eachother in the hallway, the drama queen was beginning to get sick of all the attention.

"What I don't get is why they can't live their own lives. Talk about them." She moaned to her friends. The four of them were at her house, under the pretence of studying.

"What a turnaround; Lilly Kane wanting people to _stop _paying attention to her!" Logan laughed.

"I think you need to realise that your life is probably more interesting than all of theirs put together, Lill." Veronica reasoned, from her position on the floor. "It's more fun for them to talk about you than to compare weekends spent working and doing homework."

"The girl speaks the truth. Speaking as a recent member of the Boring Life Brigade, I can say that your life will always be cooler than mine, even though I'm part of it now." Wallace informed her.

"I guess we can't start a school-wide campaign to improve the lives of all the gossips and boring people, can we?" Lilly sighed, rolling onto her back on the bed. "Weevil is coming over later, so you guys have to be on your best behaviour."

"What does that even mean?" Logan asked her.

"It means no pool-boy comments, Echolls." Veronica informed him, cuttingly.

"It means no talking about what's wrong with your car this time, or who Weevil needs you to get out of jail or wants to beat up for you, _Mars_." Wallace countered.

"I think you guys have pretty much covered it. Oh! And no talking about the fact that technically I was seeing Logan when I started fooling around with him – no need to make this more awkward than it's gonna be anyway." Lilly told them.

"If you know it's gonna be awkward then why did you feel compelled to invite him to movie night?" Logan asked his ex.

"Because you guys are my best friends, and he's my boyfriend, and I want you guys to get along." Logan was about to speak when she glared at him and cut him off. "_All _of you."

When Weevil rang the doorbell of the Kane's mansion a few hours later, Lilly's bedroom had been fully set up for a killer movie night. Logan had succeeded in moving and plugging in Jake Kane's LCD flatscreen and Veronica had knocked up brownies and snickerdoodles as well as buying a whole load of crisps and chocolate. Wallace had picked out at least seven films, ranging from Saw to The Notebook, and Lilly had been mixing drinks for a while.

"Uh, I brought vodka." Weevil offered, weakly, when he walked into his girlfriend's immense bedroom.

"Oh! Perfect, I used our whole bottle on the martinis." Lilly told him, giving him a long, deep kiss, that made the three observers all yell and cover their eyes.

"Ground rule: Lilly and Weevil have to go somewhere private to suck face!" Veronica shouted, hiding behind Logan. "That is something I really didn't want to see."

"You're gonna have to get used to it, Mars, I'm not going anywhere." Weevil told her, settling on the bed with Lillly.

"Fine, well then I better get more free favours for having to witness you two swop spit."

"More? I didn't know it was possible for me to do anything else for you! You already get your car repairs free, and anytime I think you're in trouble me and my boys come find you." The biker laughed.

"Ah, but in return for all those things I get you out of jail without a trial, and do the same for the more privileged of your 'boys'." She countered, as her friends looked on, amazed at the unknown friendship between the two of them.

"Okay, okay, you both help eachother out a lot. Hows about we watch some movies now?" Logan said, pulling Veronica down to sit next to him on a beanbag.

"Star Wars?" Wallace asked, inserting the DVD and settling in Lilly's big armchair.

The opening credits started rolling, and both Logan and Veronica started speaking the words scrolling across the screen. "A long time ago, in a galaxy far away.."

"Right, I'm banning you two from mouthing or speaking along with any part of any of the movies. Right now." Lilly proclaimed, glaring at her two best friends. "I swear between them they can repeat whole movies."

The pair both nod proudly, as the screen shows the planet Tatooween. "We once did the whole of Singing In The Rain. Songs and everything." Veronica told Weevil and Wallace.

"Didn't have you pegged for a musicals guy, Echolls." Weevil chuckled.

Logan made to retort with a witty insult, but Veronica laid a warning hand on his arm, reminding him of Lilly's words earlier. He settled instead for singing a few mocking bars of the title song, and was rewarded for his efforts by a warm smile from the girl beside him. Wallace didn't miss this non-verbal exchange between the two, and smiled to himself at the thought of Logan and Veronica realising their feelings for eachother.

Halfway through A New Hope, Logan decided that the beanbag he and Veronica were sharing just wasn't big enough for the two of them to sit comfortably side by side, and pulled her onto his lap.

At the beginning of Saw, Veronica shrank back into Logan – repelled by one of the particularly gory scenes – and clutched at his hand. She didn't let it go once the horror film was over.

During The Notebook, Logan slipped his other arm around her waist and began rubbing circles on her stomach.

By the final credits of Snakes On A Plane, both of them were asleep, having fallen back into a lying position together.

"Look at the unconcious couple." Lilly whispered, giggling.

"Look at the oblivious couple, more like." Wallace laughed. "They have no idea that they like eachother, let alone that the other likes them. It's pretty funny to watch actually."

"Ah Wallace, is that what you spend your time doing? Watching Veronica and Logan's awkward little dance? You really need a girlfriend." Weevil told him. "Or a boyfriend. After all, who am I to judge?"

"Dude! I am incredibly straight, I just happen to be going through a bit of a dry spell." Wallace squeaked, defensively.

"A dry spell that's lasted as long as I've known you." Veronica mumbled, sitting up and yawning. "How long was I out for?"

"Only like half of Snakes on a Plane." Lilly told her. "Did you ever stop to think that maybe his dry spell is directly related to you?"

"Women! Please! We are not discussing my love life! Stay out of my business!" The basketball player yelled, causing Logan to jump up with a start.

"Whats going on? What did I miss?" He asked, eyes darting around the room.

"Nothing, nothing. Just our friends getting way too nosy." Wallace told him, as he flopped down on the beanbag that Veronica and Logan had just vacated. "You guys really need to invest more interest into your own lives."

"Fine, fine, we're nosy, you're boring. We get it." Veronica whined. "Can we please do something?"

"Truth or Dare?" Logan suggested, sitting on the floor and pulling Veronica into his lap. When everyone nodded in agreement, he turned to Wallace. "Truth or dare, man?"

"Dare." Wallace announced, unwilling to subject himself to a grilling from the girls about why he didn't have a girlfriend.

"You've gotta ask out the first girl you see at school tomorrow." Logan told him. "Even if it's some ugly weirdo."

"Come on, Logan, what if it's a teacher?" Wallace whined.

"Even better." He laughed, evilly, before saying "Your turn."

"Okay…V. Truth or that crazy little thing called a dare?" He asked his best friend.

"Dare. Obviously." Wallace and Weevil looked clueless at her declaration. "I stopped taking truths when Logan and Lilly started using them as a way to find out how I feel about Duncan. It got boring."

"Okay then. I dare you to french kiss someone in this room." He said, sure that she would turn to Logan, as both the nearest person, and the guy she was attracted to.

Instead she smirked and stood up. "Remember the last time one of us was asked something like that?" She asked, walking towards Lilly. Her BFF realised straight away what she was planning on doing, and cracked up laughing. It took Logan several moments to work it out, but when he did he just stared open mouthed as his ex and the girl he thought he might like got closer together. Wallace and Weevil had no idea what was going on – both were unsure why Veronica was getting further away from Logan.

Suddenly, Veronica pressed her lips against Lilly's and slipped her tongue in her mouth. Logan was laughing his head off, as the other two boys just looked on, astounded.

"Dude, that was way better than the first time." He choked out, as the girls separated.

"Yeah, Veronica, you really know how to kiss now! Who have you been frenching instead of the Donut?" Lilly laughed. "Last time it was all me, but this was a real kiss!"

"Oh, many things have changed since then, Lil." Veronica giggled, sitting back down on Logan's lap. "And no way do you get to know who I was kissing."

"You're a fun ruiner, you know that Veronica Mars." Logan grumbled. He too had been curious about where Veronica had learnt to kiss. Several years of Spin the Bottle had taught him that she was rather timid, but she had practically forced her tongue down Lilly's throat earlier.

"Oh, shut up, you seemed to like the little show Lilly and I gave you. Truth or Dare?" She asked,turning to face him.

"I think I'll start a new trend; I'll take truth." He told her. She started thinking of a suitable question to ask him when Lilly blurted out a question of her own.

"Are you crushing on anyone in this room and if so who?" She squeaked.

"I don't know what you're trying to pull Lilly-" He started, but was cut off by the same blonde girl.

"I'm not trying to pull anything, Mr Sceptical. You picked truth so I was just asking you a question." She said, sighing long-sufferingly.

"Fine," He paused and blushed. "I am, and she's sitting on my lap."

Wallace, Weevil and Lilly all looked triumphant, while Veronica and Logan both turned scarlet and looked anywhere but eachother. Veronica, however, didn't get up, choosing to stay where she was regardless of the awkward situation.

"Truth or Dare, Weevil." Logan asked, breaking the silence.

"Dare." The biker said, smirking at the idea that he might take a wimpy truth.

"I dare you to wear a dress to school tomorrow." The richer boy replies, without a pause. "I know Lilly has some charmingly revealing ones."

The girls both cracked up, and Wallace was grinning uncontrollably too, as Weevil launched himself off the bed and attacked Logan, making sure that Veronica was safely out of the way first. He punched Logan square on the jaw, and would probably have hurt him more if Wallace hadn't reacted and pulled them apart.

"Dude, that is not cool. We ain't your PCHers; talk through the problems." Wallace lectured him, as Logan clutched his jaw. "A dare is a dare, so you're wearing a dress tomorrow. Sorry."

"Are you okay, Echolls?" Veronica asked, concernedly. She had been pushed aside onto the floor when Weevil had attacked, and was sprawled in front of the bed. He shook his head, eyes closed in agony and she stood and grabbed his hand. "Lets get you cleaned up."

She lead him to the Kane's kitchen, where she knew the bandages were kept. She rummaged around in the drawer, as he started dabbing at his bleeding jaw with a paper towel. She put a bag of frozen peas on his face, and ripped open a plaster for his cut lip. Their eyes met briefly, before they both looked away shyly.

"Did, did you mean it when you said earlier? About having a crush on me?" She asked, quietly. Logan was surprised; this timid girl was more like the old Veronica of his freshmen and sophmore years, nothing at all like the badass, confident Veronica of the past year.

"I meant it. I really like you, Veronica Mars. The new, real you." He told her, lifting her onto the counter, so that they were face to face.

She seemed to realise that she wasn't acting quite like herself, and he could practically see her gain more confidence. She slowly took hold of the front of his shirt, and pulled him in towards her. Their lips met in a soft, firm kiss. Logan was about to take things one step further by slipping his tongue into her slightly open mouth when a sudden noise caused them to break apart.

Rolling towards them was a can of Diet Coke, and in the direction of the coke was one incredibly angry Duncan Kane.

"What the hell do you think you're doing with Veronica, man?" He asked, enraged.

Veronica and Logan looked at eachother, before they both whispered "Shit."


End file.
